March 19, 2024

NFL changes domestic violence penalties

NEW YORK (AP) — Acknowledging he “didn’t get it right” with a two-game suspension for Ravens running back Ray Rice, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced tougher penalties for players accused of domestic violence, including six weeks for a first offense and at least a year for a second.

In a letter sent to all 32 team owners and obtained by The Associated Press, Goodell never mentions Rice by name but makes clear references to the Baltimore player who was charged with assault after being caught on video dragging his then-fiancee off a casino elevator.

Since January 2000, 77 players have been involved in 85 domestic violence incidents with six being cut by their teams, according to USA Today’s NFL Arrests Database. The NFL suspended six players for one game each, and Rice was the second player to be suspended for two games.